Scours----take 2.

[Sir Loin]

Scours----take 2.

After retiring from the beef industry I decided to raise bottle fed Holstein calves.
So after 50 years I am right back where I started as a little boy.
Does this mean I am in my second childhood?
So I am looking for new age information on the prevention and cures for the scours.

But first let me set the stage.
I will be buying new born calves to bottle feed at the action.
I will not know how much colostrums‘, if any, they have received, or their exact age. They could be as old as 1 week, or less.
I do not know the quantity or quality of milk they have been receiving.
I will only buy calves that show no open signs of scours.
Do you have any suggestions as to what to look for when buying bottle babies?

I ran across this article and would like your opinion of it and any additional suggestions you may wish to offer.
Good hygiene cuts calf mortality
See: http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/liv ... 37.article

Thanks
SL

 

[rockridgecattle]

Well, if you were to ask our vet about scour prevention, she would say scours is 99% management.
So, buy calves you know got good colostrum...in the first place
clean bedding
lots of space, do not crowd

Scours is mostly viral, so antiboitics will work at preventing secondary infections from setting in
Key to successful scours is lots of rehydrating fluid like resorb HE along with the milk they are taking. However you will probably find they will go off the milk a bit.
I also find that an anti inflam helps alot

When you buy the calves, if buying direct from farmers, ask if they vaccinate against scours

What else....
I think I would be more worried about things like pnemonia and navel ill with the babies before scours
If you buy from the sale barn, when you give the first few feedings, go slow. More times less feed per time. They will be hungery, but if you let them gorge themselves, dead in less than 48 hours because of either crypto or clolostridial...can never remember which
Just some thoughts

 

[cowmilker]

I would be really uncomfortable buying a calf whose history is unknown, especially colostrum history. Could you perhaps develop a relationship with a large dairy near you whose protocols are known and of which you approve and agree to purchase their calves?
I also agree that management (cleanliness) is key and try to minimize (eliminate ideally) nose to nose contact.
Good luck with your 2nd childhood. I'm on my 4th.

 

[Goodlife]

I read the article and was not clear on why he collects colostrum then bottle feeds it to the calves, and from the article it seems he does not feed a calf colostrum from it's mother necessarily. He tracks what calf gets what colostrum to trace back if there are problems. What is the advantage of doing this as opposed to having the calf suck directly from it's mothers teat to get the colostrum?

I am wondering if the answer is in his colostrum quality tester. Perhaps he drops the worst colostrum as he says "we try to use the best colostrum, but if we have to use lower quality we will feed more". Is this a normal practice to collect the colostrum and bottle feed it upon birth?

Ed

 

[cowmilker]

I do not let calves suckle on mom for several reasons.
1: I know exactly how much colostrum the calf has had and when.
2: A sucking calf leaves an open teat sphincter when it's done- when the cow lies down there's too much likelihood of contamination and mastitis. I want these cows to produce for the long term. A blind quarter or two is not a temporary problem until a planned cull. I also want blue ribbons.
3. Probably most important, I have Brown Swiss, pretty well known among dairy people for being too stupid to know how to suck at birth. Rarely do I not have to tube a newborn for at least the first feeding.
All this takes time that some people don't have. I enjoy it and make time for it just as some do for golf, fishing, whatever.

 

[Goodlife]

Thanks Cowmilker.

Question: Do you use artificial colostrum or milk it from the cows?

 

[TexasBred]

I do not let calves suckle on mom for several reasons.
1: I know exactly how much colostrum the calf has had and when.
2: A sucking calf leaves an open teat sphincter when it's done- when the cow lies down there's too much likelihood of contamination and mastitis. I want these cows to produce for the long term. A blind quarter or two is not a temporary problem until a planned cull. I also want blue ribbons.
3. Probably most important, I have Brown Swiss, pretty well known among dairy people for being too stupid to know how to suck at birth. Rarely do I not have to tube a newborn for at least the first feeding.
All this takes time that some people don't have. I enjoy it and make time for it just as some do for golf, fishing, whatever.

Every calf should be allowed tonurse a couple of days minimum. The milk from the cow is not ready to go into the bulk tank anyway. Teat ends seal up faster than you think. Saliva from the calf helps this process. Don't think I've ever seen a "blind quarter" that could be directly attributed to a calf nursing a few days at birth. Comments on the Brown Swiss.....I agree with 100%.

 

[Sir Loin]

Scours vs. diarrhea

What is the difference between Scours and diarrhea ?

Have you ever heard of:

Noninfectious Scours

Noninfectious scours (nutritional scours) are usually caused by changes to the feeding program. While usually not severe enough to cause death, noninfection scours can weaken the calf and make it more susceptible to infectious scours. Infectious scours are the biggest problem and are caused primarily by viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Identifying the infectious agent causing scours is an important part of developing a sound prevention program.

Calves do best under consistent circumstances. Sudden changes, especially to the feeding program, test their ability to cope. Overfeeding, switching milk replacer brands or changing from a high to a low quality milk replacer formulation can adversely affect digestion. Ingredient differences, taste, nutrient and product density (how much fits in an 8 oz cup) can affect a calf's willingness to drink as well as its performance. Changes like these should be evaluated and made gradually.
When waste milk is fed, nutrient quality and quantity vary depending upon the condition and health status of cows contributing to the waste milk supply. Calves may scour in response to these changes. Pasteurization does not affect this characteristic of waste milk.

Source: http://www.merricks.com/tech_calfscours.html

 

[Sir Loin]

Re:

Question: Do you use artificial colostrums’ or milk it from the cows?

In my first childhood on a dairy farm I only fed direct from the cow for the first 5 days for both colostrums’ and milk then switch to any cows milk till weaning.
But we never fed waist milk to any calf. That went to the pigs or down the drain.

When I went into the beef business, of course I fed a replacer for both colostrums’ and milk as most of the calves I had to feed were orphans.

Now that I am back to dairy calves without the dairy, I ‘m now feeding both replacer colostrums’ and milk.

And now is as good as time as any to let you in on what I believe is one of my management failyers which may have contributed some of my problems in the recent past.

YEP! Noninfectious Scours

As most men do, when all else fails, we READ THE DIRECTIONS.
So that is what I did.

On the milk replacer tag it says:
Crude protein: ---min--------20.00%
Crude fat ---min--------------15.00%

Mixing directions:
Add 1 enclosed cup level full of milk replacer to 2 quarts of warm water.
OK, that is what I have been doing for years.

Large breeds
“Feed 2 quarts reconstituted milk replacer twice daily.”
Small breeds:
“Feed 1 1/2 to 2 quarts reconstituted milk replacer twice daily.”
OK. No big deal! Been doing that also.

Now here is the part I never bothered to read.

These feeding directions are for a 100 lb calf. Adjust feeding rates in proportion to bodyweight of calf.

So how much milk replace should I use for a 50 lb calf? And a 75 lb calf?
Is it not a ½ cup for a 50 lb calf and ¾ cup for a 75 lb calf?

Now add to that this new age thinking we all seem to have, that if 1 is good, then 2 must be better, thinking, I believe what I was trying to deal with was in fact today so called Noninfectious Scours, which is not really the scours at all, but instead is a simple case of diarrhea, (AKA the squirts in my first childhood ) caused by to high of intake of butter fat. ( AKA milk to rich for a new born in my first childhood.

In my first childhood to have the scours, you had to have a silvery white poop. All other soft or squirting poop was call diarrhea or simply the squirts.

And both were treated differently.

SL

 

[TexasBred]

SL that particular information concerning weight of the calf should be disclosed in large bold letters above mixing instructions. Easy to overlook the way most companies disclose it. Glad you saw it.